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If you were injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your losses. Florida’s personal injury laws provide accident victims with clear legal rights, and you can work with a knowledgeable Fort Myers personal injury attorney at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. to help you assert your legal rights at no out-of-pocket cost.

However, to seek the financial compensation you deserve, you need to be careful to avoid some potentially costly mistakes. If you make these mistakes, you might not get a second chance, and there may not be anything an attorney can do to help you.

Do Not Make These Potentially Costly Mistakes After an Accident in Florida

So, what do you need to avoid doing after an accident that was someone else’s fault? Here are 10 mistakes to avoid if you think you may have a personal injury claim in Florida:

1. Ignoring Your Situation

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to ignore your situation. The costs of serious accident-related injuries can add up quickly, and your injuries could negatively impact your life in a variety of other ways as well (more on this below). If you ignore your situation, it will not get better, and you will not receive the financial compensation you deserve.

2. Ignoring Your Symptoms

Another mistake you need to avoid is ignoring your symptoms. If you are experiencing any symptoms after a traumatic accident, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Not only could this be important for mitigating the risk of serious complications, but it will be important for documenting your personal injury claim as well.

3. Making Assumptions About Your Legal Rights

If you have a personal injury claim after a vehicle collision or another accident, you need to ensure that you are making informed decisions. You should not make any assumptions about your legal rights. You should not assume there is nothing you can do, and you should not assume that the insurance companies will simply pay you what they owe.

4. Relying on the Insurance Companies

When you have a personal injury claim, the insurance companies are not on your side. While you need to make sure you receive proper compensation for your injuries, the insurance companies’ goal is to pay you as little as possible (if they pay you anything at all). As a result, if you rely on the insurance companies to treat you fairly, you almost certainly will not receive full compensation for your losses.

5. Relying on “Advice” You Find Online

Just as you should not rely on the insurance companies, you also should not rely on any “advice” you find online. While there are several reasons, one of the most important is that Florida’s personal injury laws differ from those in many other states. Plus, much of the “advice” you will find online is simply wrong.

6. Overlooking the Long-Term Costs of Your Injuries

If you have a claim for an accident in Florida, you are entitled to appropriate compensation for your present and future losses. This makes it crucial that you do not overlook the long-term costs associated with your injuries. When you hire an experienced Fort Myers personal injury attorney at Spivey Law Firm to represent you, your attorney will be able to help you seek compensation for long-term costs, including:

• Future medical bills
• Future physical therapy and occupational therapy bills
• Future prescriptions, medical supplies, and other out-of-pocket costs
• Loss of future income and benefits

Oftentimes, accident victims’ future costs will far exceed the costs they incur immediately after an accident. This is especially true in cases involving serious traumatic injuries. If you overlook these costs—or if you are not sure how much you are entitled to recover—you will not be able to make informed decisions about settlement (if a settlement offer is made).

7. Overlooking Your Non-Financial Losses

Under Florida law, accident victims who have personal injury claims are entitled to compensation for their non-financial losses as well. This includes present and future:

• Pain and suffering
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Loss of consortium, companionship, and enjoyment of life

Here, too, understanding how much you are entitled to recover is critical. If you overlook your non-financial losses when dealing with the insurance companies, the insurance companies are not going to cover these losses voluntarily.

8. Posting About the Accident Online

When you have a personal injury claim, you need to resist the temptation to post about your accident online. This includes posting photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and other social media platforms. The insurance companies may be watching, and if you post something they can use to dispute or deny your claim, they will take advantage of the opportunity to use your posts against you.

9. Waiting to Take Action

Another mistake we see accident victims make far too often is waiting to act. If you have been seriously injured in an accident, you should take action as soon as possible. Among other things, this means that you should see a doctor promptly, and you should schedule a free consultation with a Fort Myers personal injury attorney right away.

10. Trying to Handle Your Situation on Your Own

Given the challenges involved in filing a successful personal injury claim and the losses you can face if you do not recover the financial compensation you deserve, it is extremely important that you do not try to handle your situation on your own. As we said above, hiring a Fort Myers personal injury attorney at Spivey Law Firm does not cost you anything out of your own pocket, and you can (and should) rely on your attorney to help you protect your legal rights throughout the recovery process.

Discuss Your Accident with a Fort Myers Personal Injury Attorney for Free

Attorney Randall L. Spivey represented those injured due to someone else’s negligence, his entire career, which has spanned for three decades in Florida. He provides compassionate care and expertise to fight for the rights of the victim. Randall L. Spivey is Board-Certified by the Florida Bar Association in Civil Trial law. He guides his team at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. to obtain the justice and to maximize recovery for each client.

Were you injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault? If so, we strongly encourage you to contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. right away. To discuss your accident with experienced Fort Myers personal injury attorney Randall L. Spivey for free, call us at 239-337-7483 or toll-free at 888-477-4839, or tell us how we can get in touch online at SpiveyLaw.com today.